Upgrayed Sweeps the Congress as NRHA Futurity Contenders Take Shape

Casey Deary and Upgrayed swept the Congress Open futurity, and several more 3-year-olds left Columbus with momentum. Here are the horses we’re watching on the road to Oklahoma City.

Upgrayed and Casey Deary swept the All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Reining Futurity, taking home a healthy check for owner Jose Fernando Fagundes. The pair marked a 224.5 on Oct. 3 in the Columbus, Ohio, dirt to win $50,000 in the All Star Reining Stakes Level 4 Open Futurity, an additional $83,214 in the Oswood Stallion Advantage Open Reining Level 4 Futurity and $50,000 in the NRHA Open Reining Level 4 Futurity.

Upgrayed wasn’t the only horse who left Columbus with momentum. Im Gunna Bee (Kaci O’Rourke), Spooky Booo (Cade McCutcheon), Bad Companyy (Kole Price) and Sixty Six Stops (Jordan Larson) tied for reserve at 223.5 in the NRHA Open Reining Level 4 Futurity and the All Star Reining Stakes Level 4 Open Futurity. The first three also tied for reserve in the Oswood Stallion Advantage Open Reining Level 4 Futurity, each earning more than $75,000 across the three classes. Sixty Six Stops added titles in the NRHA Open Reining Level 3 Futurity and the All Star Reining Stakes Level 3 Open Futurity. Eight Oh Five and Jack Daniels won the Oswood Stallion Advantage Open Reining Level 3 Futurity for $39,798, and All Cocoa No Cream and Joe Schmidt swept the NRHA, All Star and Oswood Level 2 Open futurities.

Congress is one of the last big stops on the pre-futurity trail and all eyes are turning to the NRHA Futurity, set for Nov. 23-Dec. 5 at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. For the horses that left Columbus with a check, the Congress was a major confidence boost heading to Oklahoma City.

NRHA Futurity Archives

Upgrayed

Pedigree: Spooks Gotta Whiz x Miss Silver Gun
Owner: Jose Fernando Fagundes
Open rider: Casey Deary

100X Reining Classic (Aug. 29-Sept. 6, Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Mic Drop Open Futurity Level 4, 2nd, $11,594.15
North American Reining Stakes Open Futurity Level 4, 2nd, $11,080.87

All American Quarter Horse Congress (Sept. 26-Oct. 24, Columbus, Ohio)

NRHA Open Reining Level 4 Futurity, Champion, $50,000
Oswood Stallion Advantage Open Reining Level 4 Futurity, Champion, $83,214
All Star Reining Stakes Open Futurity Level 4, Champion, $50,000

*Casey Deary and Upgrayed at the 2026 Quarter Horse Congress. Photo by Shane Rux.*

On Tour

Pedigree: Spooks Gotta Whiz x Trashy Dreams
Owner: Neiberger Performance Horses LLC
Open rider: Luca Fappani

Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association Summer Slide (July 6-11, Loveland, Colorado)

Open Futurity Level 4, Champion, $4,289.61

High Roller Reining Classic (Sept. 11-19, Las Vegas)

Crown Jewel Open Futurity Level 4, Champion, $32,250

Why Luca Fappani’s RMRHA Futurity Win Riding “On Tour” Means 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 Much More

Blueyedboy

Pedigree: Inferno Sixty Six x Blueyedgirl
Owner: Bruna Bertolani
Open rider: Franco Bertolani

100X Brazos Slide (July 17-26, Waco, Texas)

Open Futurity Level 4, Champion, $19,318.15
Open Futurity Level 3, Champion, $10,860.93

Spookadoo

Pedigree: Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dolittle Lena
Owner: Jillane B. Brown
Open rider: Fernando Salgado